Department Store, Mobile, Alabama after 1956

"Department Store, Mobile, Alabama" is a poignant photograph taken by Gordon Parks in 1956. The image depicts a Black woman and her daughter standing before a segregated entrance to a department store in Mobile, Alabama. The stark "COLORED ENTRANCE" sign serves as a powerful reminder of the racial injustice that prevailed in the American South during the Jim Crow era. Parks’ powerful composition highlights the dignity of his subjects despite the discriminatory sign, revealing the complexities of the social landscape of that time. This photograph is a powerful example of Parks' commitment to social justice and his ability to capture the human experience through the lens of his camera.